The Road Less Traveled: New Zealand: The North Island

Wellington from the sky

Wellington: a hipster town nestled into the mountains surrounding a breathtaking bay. On first arrival by ferry, Wellington seems very busy, with cars lining the highways and people bustling about. Perhaps as the nation's capital, it has a reason to be busy. The scene is pretty hipster and has tons to offer in terms of food and drink. While there, we continued our gastronomic feast through New Zealand and ate at some solid restaurants, only topped off by some fabulous drinks ( including home-brewed cider and mulled wine). The atmosphere reminds me of Hong Kong, harbour city that's kinda funky with an edge. Windy Welly was the first real stop where the schedule had nothing planned. As such, we took it easy: visited Te Aro Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and Cuba Street. The runs were hilly and the scenes were generically pretty. While in Wellington, we stayed at Kikki's place, an AirB&B apartment. Knowing the perils of AirB&B, this was a risk. However, it turned out Kikki's place was just as lovely and convenient as advertised. And damn, the bed was comfy!

Downtown Wellington

A view of the Wellington Harbour

Auckland B&W

Auckland: a superbly accessible city that's hip without being TOO hipster and beautiful to boot! I preferred Auckland to Wellington for the same reason why Shenyang is better than Beijing (wait, what? Did I just say that?) Wellington was busy and full of "stuff" to do, but Auckland had real character. The people in Auckland were genuine and took themselves less seriously than the capital people. Now, that's all given the fact that all Kiwis are more genuine and laid-back than any other population I've ever met. Anyway, like Wellington, Auckland also has its hills (gorgeous botanical gardens) and its harbour (biggest marina in the Southern Hemisphere) but in my opinion, it's a much better designed city. The neighborhoods are accessible and the culture is thriving. Lots to see, eat, and drink: so we did! Did I mention it has a huge harbour? Happened to take a spin on an America's Cup racing boat and it made me decide: Auckland is definitely my favorite real city in New Zealand. I'd move here in a heartbeat! While we were here, we stayed in the funky and chic Hotel DeBrett and it was worth the cost to be in the heart of town and surrounded by up-to-date luxury. Divine!